When

know that lambs are innocent creatures. you quarrel with one another, you act, not as Chrift's lambs, but rather as young bears and wolves.

6. If you fear God, you will endeavour to do good according to your ability and befure, you will be careful to do no mischief, to have no concern in any wicked plans that are propofed. If finners entice you, you will not confent; but will turn from them and pafs away: you will have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ; but will rather reprove them you will fay to evil doers, "Depart from us, for we will keep the commandments of God." We read of fome, who deep not, except they have done mifchief; and their fleep is taken away, unless they cause fome to fall. Never join fuch parties as thefe; for "a heart that devifeth wicked imaginations, and feet that are swift in running to mifchief, are abomination to the Lord." And "a companion of fools will be destroyed."

7. If you fear God, you will honour your parents: For this is his command, "Honour thy father and mother, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayeft live long on the earth.” Speak of them with respect, behave toward them with reverence, obey them with cheerfulness, and regard their will, when you are abfent from them, as well as when you are prefent with them. Solo. mon fays, "The eye that mocketh his father,and defpifeth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley fhall pick it out, and the young eagles fhall eat it." His meaning is, Such ungracious and wicked creatures, as mock and defpife a parent, while children, will probably prove rogues and villains, when they grow up; fo that God, in his wrath, will give them up to an untimely death,

and leave them to be devoured by ravenous beasts and birds.

8. If you fear God, you will betake yourselves to Jefus Chrift, the Saviour of loft finners.

He came to feek and to fave them that are loft. When you compare your hearts and lives with God's holy law, you fee that you have tranfgreffed it. This law condemns every one who continues not in all things written therein to do them. Chrift by his death hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law-you can have redemption only by faith in him as a dying Saviour. The fear of God, as a holy and righteous Being, will lead you to Chrift, who came to fave you from the wrath to come. The law of God is a schoolmafter to bring you to Chrift, that you may be juftified by faith. Chrift invites all weary and heavyladen finners, all who feel their guilt and fee their danger, to come unto him, that they may find reft to their fouls. Them who come to him, he will in no wife caft out.

FINALLY: If you fear God, keep his commandments. Do what he requires, and fhun what he forbids. Keep out of the company of wicked children, as much as you can, left you learn their ways, and get a fare to your fouls. When you fee evil in other children, reprove them; if they are so proud and scornful, that they will not regard you, defire those who are older to reprove them. "He that converteth a finner from the error of his way, fhall fave a foul from death, and fhall hide the multitude of fins."

Thus, my children, I have taught you, what it is to fear God, and why you should fear him. I hope you have hearkened, while I have been fpeaking. Forget not what has been faid. Think of it after you go home, and pray God to impress

it on your hearts. If you knew you fhould die, in two or three days, would you not regard what. has been spoken? You know not how foon you fhall die. Many die young. How happy it is to be always ready. If you live to be old, death is not far off. "Man that is born of a woman is of few days." God has called you to obtain falvation through Chrift. Give diligence to make your calling fure. Now is the accepted time; now is the day of falvation. If you defpife God's calls and refift his grace, when you are young, perhaps you will be hardened through the deceitfulness of fin, and rejected of God forever.

Hear then and regard the words of David in our text and the verses which follow:-" Come, ye children, hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that defireth life and loveth many days, that he may fee good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil and do good; feek peace and purfue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut of their remembrance from the earth. Evil fhall flay the wicked. But the Lord redeemeth the foul of his fervants; and none of them that truft in him fhall be defolate.

A PRAYER FOR CHILDREN.

ALMIGHTY God! Thou hast created me by thy power, preferved me by thy care, and fupported me by thy goodness. From thee I derived my being, my reafon, and all my powers. I am indebted to thee for all

*

that I have; I am dependent on thee for all that i want; and I owe to thee all that I can do. I would be humbled before thee for all my childish follies and youthful vanities; for the corruptions of my heart, and the iniquities of my life. I pray thee, O God, to deliver me from my guilt, and cleanfe me from my pollu tions. Form my mind to the early love of true and fubs ftantial wisdom. Teach me to love, fear and ferve thee, with all my heart. May I honour my Divine Saviour, know the truth as it is in him, feel the power of his doctrines, obey his commands, and be conformed to his example. I defire efpecially to imitate his example of youthful piety, virtue and wifdom. O that like him, I might not only grow in ftature, but also increase in wifdom, and in favour with God and man. May I embrace the good, and abhor the evil which I fee in oth ers; and, by my example, do something to encourage good and difcourage evil, in all that I afficiate with. May I be a companion of them who fear God, and wifely fhun the fnares of wicked company. May I be kept from temptations, or, when they meet me, be enabled to overcome them. Give me grace to keep my heart dili gently, to govern my tongue wifely, and to use my time profitably. May I daily mind the one thing needful, and faithfully attend to the care of my foul. May I daily act in the fear of God, and with a fenfe of the judgment to come. May I daily think of dying, and do Something in preparatian for my great change. And when death fhall remove me from this world, may I, of thine abundant mercy in Chrift Jefus, be received to thy prefence in heaven. Take me under thy care this day, [or this night,] and, both by night and by day, may I be kept from fin. And, whether Ifleep or wake, may I be preferved from harm; and unto thee I will afcribe the praife, through Jefus Chrift my Redeemer.-Amen.

SERMON II.

The Duty of Speaking to the Young.

ZECHARIAH ii. 4.

-Run fpeak to this young man.

THIS young man was the prophet Zech

ariah, who feems to have enjoyed the fpirit of prophecy in his youth. He flourished toward the end of the captivity, when things were ripening for the restoration. The intention of the firft part of his prophecy is to encourage the Jews in re building their ancient city and temple. As he was converfing with an angel, whom he calls "the an gel that talked with him," he faw another angel, with a measuring line in his hand, going, like an architect, to lay out the plan and take the proportion of the city, in order to its being rebuilded. And the angel, who talked with him, went forth, and this other angel went out to meet him, and faid to him, "Run fpeak to this young man, faying, Jerufalem fhall be inhabited, as towns without walls; for the Lord will be a wall of fire round about her, and the glory in the midst of her."

This meffage to the young prophet was fent on a fpecial occafion. There may be many occafions which call on us to addrefs the young. Other young men are to be spoken to, as well as the VOL. V.

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